Bacon Macleod
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Start of B4 - Chapter 419: Reunion
🕑 Added 2025-09-29 20:34:46 +0000 UTCKaius trudged along open fields, the rolling hills and scattered trees of the frontier spreading out before him. It had been over an hour since theyâd left the burning pyre that contained the remains of Old Yon and his hirelings behind. Now he walked with his team, joined in their formation by Rieker, Ro and the Gold out of Grandbrook, Arcâtheros.
None of them had been particularly talkative after their counter-ambush of the Onyx-aligned Silvers.
Kaius was exhausted, and he knew that his bonded companion felt the same. For all Porkchopâs great abyss of endurance, and his physique that was larger than even a dire beastâs, the fatigue they both felt went beyond the physical.
It was the drain of staying alert, on edge, for months at a time. Not only had they been certain â and correct â that they were being tracked, but even their safest camps inside of the Depths had required vigilance.
Judging by the heaviness of their brows and the dulling of their otherwise bright eyes, Ianmus and Kenva felt the same.
Kaius hadnât expected it to set in so suddenly, but it had. A heavy yoke on his shoulders that seemed to snap into existence the second Rieker and Ro had arrived. He supposed that now, safe in the presence of three Golds, he finally allowed himself to feel the exhaustion that had built up during their long delve.
Ahead of him, Ro stalked at the head of their pack, with Kenva trudging in her shadow. As a pair, they both kept watch on their surroundings, acting as their scouts. Though, Kaius was half sure Kenva was only using it as an excuse to chat with her fellow Hiwiann.
Every few minutes Ro would glance back, her eyes settling on him for just a moment before she returned to scanning. The curiosity that blazed within the guild administrator was blatant. She hungered to know more about what he and his team had endured in the months theyâd been gone.
Given that Ro was clearly familiar with Kenvaâs mother, and had been utterly taken aback by her presence, Kaius found it almost shocking that the only words he picked up from the two women was idle conversations about their surroundings.
Ro was holding herself back. Hells, all of the Golds seemed to be. Not one of them seemed surprised by the fatigued silence that had fallen over him and his team. Rieker had even gone so far as to remind them aloud that some simple quiet would be good to give them a bit of time to put their heads back together before they told their tale.
Kaius supposed that anyone who pushed hard enough to reach Gold had their fair share of long campaigns, extended delves, and the sudden violence that could come at the hands of fellow men. Regardless, he appreciated the chance to just breathe and relax while he enjoyed the blessedly real sun that shone down from above him.
Besides, being patient now meant he wouldnât have to repeat his story. To recount everything theyâd endured once for Ro, only to repeat himself again when they ran into Bronwyn and his team, would have been tiresome.
Despite his tiredness, Kaius felt a glimmer of a smile tug at the corners of his lips.
âWhatâs got you in a good mood?â Porkchop asked, subtly bumping him with his shoulder.
âOh, itâs nothing,â Kaius replied silently through their bond. âIâm just excited weâll finally get to meet Bronwyn and his team.â
âI know how you feel,â Porkchop replied. âYouâd think with how often his name was bandied about Deadacreâs common room, weâd have run into him by now â or at least learned the names of his teammates.â
Kaiusâs smile widened â the curse of being a team leader, you caught ninety percent of the flak. âIt is what it is. We canât exactly blame the man for being busy, especially considering how chaotic the last year has been. Still, itâll be nice to meet a more normal Silver â at least one that isnât gunning for our throats.â
âIâd have thought youâd already have a pretty good idea of how much stronger we are than the average, considering the fight we just had.â
Kaius shook his head. âItâs not that, or at least not just that. Iâm also interested in what the phase change has meant for them. If, in the year theyâve been out in the field, their levels have grown significantly â or if their level differential was already high enough that they didnât grow all that much. Iâm curious â who knows what sort of beasties have been hiding out in the wilds.â
Inwardly, he sincerely hoped it had been good for the silver team. It was one thing for integration to bring a new generation of powerhouses to the forefront, but if the world wanted to thrive, those already established would need to take advantage of the changes too.
âIâm sure it has been,â Porkchop replied, bumping him lightly again.
As they fell back into silence, Kaiusâs thoughts drifted to their final conversation with Old Yon. He wasnât sure how he felt about the criminals final moments. He didnât feel guilty â not about killing the Old Yon or his men. Not after the wizened Silver had tried to kill him so thoroughly, on multiple occasions. Especially not when Yon was the kind of man to kidnap those with promise, powerless against him, then torture their secrets out.
No, what kept him distracted was what they had learned from the crime lord.
Kaius finally had a name to put to that scarred face â Morton, the tracker. The man who had chased him off a cliff; who had caused his fatherâs death. Even just thinking of that visage was enough to set his stomach burning.
And that wasnât all â theyâd also learned more about the nature of the beast Morton had aligned himself with: the Onyx Temple, and their Fangs.
Yet for all that besting Old Yon and uncovering new leads was vindicating, it was just as frustrating. There was no concrete location, no fort to siege, no public face to rally against. Just a name and a man to track down.
At the very least, it would hopefully prove fruitful with a little time and labour. With the help of the Guild, and access to the archives in the dukedom city of Banswell, they would, he hoped, find at least a thread to follow.
But that would take time, he was sure of it. For all he knew, the wise path was one where he grew his strength and gathered the information he needed. Still, he felt impatient.
âWorrying will get you nowhere,â Porkchop said. âWe both know that if you rushed off now, without wrapping up our business in Deadacre, youâd fret about that just as much too.â
Kaius groaned, but he knew Porkchop was right. The brief words Rieker and Ro had shared had been tantalising. Imperial ruins beneath Deadacre? A conspicuous absence of beasts that aligned perfectly with the horde that had struck the prison theyâd been held in?
Those were big mysteries, and big adventures. Ones that needed strong and capable hands to manage. Considering Rieker and Ro were needed in the city, and the only other Silver team in the region was Bronwynâs, it stood to reason the Guild would want help with one of the issues. Likely the ruins beneath the city.
As pertinent as it would be to have them mapped and explored to ensure there was no danger, the ruins were currently stable â likely had been for thousands of years.
From what little he knew, Bronwynâs team was simply better suited for traversing the frontier and chasing beasts â it had been their bread and butter for years.
While Kaius wasnât egotistical enough to call himself an expert in all things runic, he was trained in them, and he knew the generalities of how they functioned like the back of his hand. An Imperial ruin was an edifice built atop a crumbling foundation of immense volumes of runework â a dangerous proposition for most. Between him and Ianmus, though, theyâd be able to spot anything dangerous before it blew up in their faces.
Hopefully, at least.
Still, that was something best left for Rieker and Ro to explain for themselves. Hopefully after spending a week sleeping in, drinking beer, and eating good food.
Doing his best to quiet his mind, Kaius tuned back into his surroundings, hearing the soft crunch as he walked through the long grass of the plains.
He noticed that he and Porkchop werenât the only ones falling into quiet conversation. Though theirs was silent thanks to their bond, he heard Ro and Kenva speaking in hushed whispers at the front of their formation.
âItâs nice to finally see you in person,â Ro said. âLast time I met your mother, you would have been a wee thing. Maybe six or seven. I didnât get to meet you, but your mother was damn near tearing her hair out at how much energy you had. It was damn near half of what she talked about on that hunt.â
Kaius caught the flush across Kenvaâs pale purple skin, darkening to almost midnight violet.
âWhat were you doing in the East of the Steppe?â Kenva asked.
âRieker and my team at the time had just finished a contract against a silver beast that had wandered down onto the plains from the far eastern edge of the Drozagâs. It hadnât had any recorded attacks, but there was a noble estate that was a bit too close to its range for the ownerâs liking. After out victory, we had about two months until the autumn equinox, so I figured Iâd take Rieker to see my clan home again, and enjoy a traditional pilgrimage. I announced myself, as is proper, as I passed through the Zhdan lands.â
Kenva nodded, as if what Ro aid made perfect sense.
Kaius thought it was strange to watch the two of them together. He knew what they referred to by the equinox, at least â the ritualistic festivals that the Hiwiann threw on each solstice and equinox were legendary â but there was a wealth of cultural understanding he lacked.
In hushed tones â not so much hidden as polite â the pairâs conversation shifted. Ro asked in earnest about Kenvaâs path, and Kenva excitedly explained hitching a ride with her uncle to reach the Frontier.
They cut themselves off the same moment Kaius spotted the faintest plume of dust on the horizon, slowly growing larger.
There was only one thing it could be. Bronwyn and his team.
âIâll run ahead, give them some warning. Best to let them collect themselves â theyâll be battle-ready,â Ro said, giving them all a smile.
She burst into motion, tearing towards the approaching silver team.
Kaius was happy to just wait for them to arrive.
A/N:
As is tradition, we will have a few recap chapters after this. There's some suitably le gasp moments.
Thanks for being so nice about the slight schedule update, it put a smile on my face yesterday.
Comments
Silver
If finishing a book dosnt entitle you to a bit of a break I donno what does. But also I love this story, I NEED more.
Van Carlo Tomas
Just caught up. Now, the pain of waiting 1 chapter a day begins. :(
